Gordon Brown joins faith groups in urgent call for action on ‘financial timebomb’
The former prime minister Gordon Brown has joined 56 faith groups, charities and politicians to call for urgent action to bridge the cost of living gap faced by the lowest-income families. In media interviews last weekend, he said an emergency budget was needed this summer, with parliament recalled, before the UK hits a “financial timebomb” and a major social crisis in the autumn. He has commissioned a report which found that 35 million people in 13 million households across the UK are under threat of fuel poverty in October — almost half the population. It said fuel costs plus the end of the £20 benefits uplift and a record rise in inflation will not be matched by the current flat-rate payments offered by the government. The groups backing the report include the Methodist Church, the Bishop of Durham, the Hindu Council UK and the Muslim Council of Britain. Gordon Brown’s signed piece in The Observer is here
Lambeth Conference ends with call to stand up to governments
The 15th Lambeth conference of global Anglican bishops ended in Canterbury last weekend, after 11 days of discussion, Bible study, prayer and worship. In his final address, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, said the church must stand up to governments on the unethical treatment of migrants, on war, the abuse of human rights or persecution. To be silent is to be one of the oppressors, he said. Churches must avoid being “sucked in to supporting governments” and stand up against oppression. Bishops must speak, act and take risks: “This is not the church getting involved in politics, It’s the church getting involved in God.” Report here.
As Lambeth ended, the same-sex relationship debate was reignited
As the bishops sat in Canterbury Cathedral for their final service in a spirit of unity, the debate over same-sex marriage was reignited. Bishops from the Global South Fellowship of Anglicans, opposed to same-sex marriage, issued a statement on Twitter saying “We will not have two different views within one communion.” They said 125 bishops from 21 provinces had signed a statement reaffirming Resolution I:10 which bans homosexual practice and further called for provinces to abide by this doctrine. Earlier LGBTQ+ campaigners said they had collected 170 signatures from bishops affirming the holiness of same-sex love.
Lambeth round-up
Read our articles on the conference, which began with acrimonious exchanges about same-sex relationships, but ended (apart from the final Twitter spat) with both sides accepting one another, while continuing to disagree, allowing for a plurality of perspectives inside the Anglican Communion.
– Comment on the outcome of the conference here
– How the University of Kent venue welcomed same-sex spouses here
– A reflection on ecumenical links here
– And a profile of the bishop from Sudan whose diocese is under irreversible floods caused by climate change.
Christian Concern asks for prayers for legal team in Archie Battersbee case
The life-support system for Archie Battersbee, 12, who had been in a coma since April, was switched off on Saturday and he died with his family by his bedside. They have been supported by the Christian Legal Centre, part of the conservative group Christian Concern, in a legal battle to stop doctors removing treatment. In a statement issued via the centre, the family said they were calling for an inquiry into their experience, which they described as horrendous, as they argued for “Archie’s real best interests and right to live.” A review is under way into the care of critically ill children that looks at independent mediation to prevent adversarial conflict in court. Among the many calls for prayer for the family, Christian Concern also asked for prayers for those who have supported the family, including the legal team.
Antisemitic incidents in early 2022 lower than last year
The Community Security Trust, which works for the protection of Jewish people in the UK, recorded 786 antisemitic incidents in the first six months of 2022. This was a decrease of 43 per cent from the 1,371 antisemitic incidents recorded by trust in the first half of 2021, which included the escalation of violence in Israel and Palestine. But the trust says the figure for this year is still high, as there had been no external trigger. The majority of incidents included face-to-face verbal abuse, assault, threats, graffiti and hate mail.
Expulsion order against French Imam is suspended
In France, an expulsion order against Moroccan-French imam Hassan Iquioussen has been suspended by the Paris Administrative Court. It said the expulsion would cause a “disproportionate attack” on his private life and family, with five French children and 15 French grandchildren. Le Figaro reports that the French interior minister, Gérald Darmanin, argued that Iquioussen had been involved in promoting hate speech against French values. But the imam’s defenders said the principle of freedom of expression must be respected. The Ministry of the Interior will appeal.
Ahmadiyya Jalsa Salana convention attracts 30,000 people to a Hampshire farm
Around 30,000 people from around the world gathered at Oaklands Farm in Alton, near Winchester, this weekend for an Islamic convention organised by the Ahmadiyya Muslim community, which has its international headquarters in the UK. The Jalsa Salana convention, said to be the largest Muslim gathering in the UK, features prayers and talks, with marquees, tents and food stalls set up on the site. One of the organisers told ITV news that its aim was spiritual refreshment, reminding people that Islam is a religion of peace and teaches that you have to look after your neighbour.
